Information Technology Policy

We have all of the following in place here at Observatory Medical Practice:

1. Referral Management Information
2. Online Appointment Booking
3. Online Booking of repeat prescriptions
4. Summary Care Record
5. GP2GP transfers of care records
6. Patient Access to electronic records.

Please find below details of the arrangements we have in place for these developments at this Practice.

Referral management Information

Practices must include the NHS Number as the primary identifier in all NHS clinical correspondence issued by the practice.

 All letters and information that we send to other organisations such as, hospitals, have an NHS number clearly shown.

Electronic appointment booking

Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to, to book, view, amend, cancel and print appointments online.

We currently offer booking and cancelling of routine GP appointments/other appointments online. Please ask at reception for more details about how to register for this service-Patient/EMIS Access.

Online booking of repeat prescriptions

Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to, to order online, view and print a list of their repeat prescriptions for necessary drugs, medicines or appliances.

 We currently offer the facility for ordering repeat prescriptions online. Please ask at reception for more details about how to register for this service-Patient/EMIS Access.

Interoperable records/Summary Care Record

Practices are required to upload changes to a patient’s summary information, at least daily, to the Summary Care Record.

Having your Summary Care Record available will help other doctors and nurses treating you away from your regular surgery, without your full medical record. They will have access to information about any medication you may be taking and any drugs to which you have a recorded allergy or sensitivity. 

More information about the Summary Care Record can be found

This function is already live. However, if you do not want your medical records to be available in this way please let us know. You can do this via the ‘opt out form’, available at reception, or on our website.

GP2GP transfers of Care Records

Practices are required to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers.

It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new one, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded to your new GP via NHS England. It can take several weeks for paper records to reach the new surgery; with GP2GP, your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.

GP2GP transfers are already activated at this practice for sending and receiving patient records.

Patient access to their electronic GP record

Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for patients to view online information from their records relating to medications, allergies/adverse reactions and immunisations.

Patient/EMIS access is already available to patients. Call into reception with your ID (photographic ID or 2 separate proof of address eg utility bill and bank statement dated in the last 3 months) and the receptionists will be happy to issue you with your login PIN and instructions how to set yourself up for this service.

When registering for this service you will automatically have access to online appointment booking and prescription ordering.

The Medical records viewer will currently give you access to your medication, allergies and immunisations.

Existing Patient Access users

Patients that already have access to Patient access can have Medical Records Viewer turned on, if they wish (as long as they are aged 16 or over). You just need to show your ID to the receptionist, who will then turn on the access for you.